WHO NEEDS A BODYGUARD WHEN YOU HAVE FAMILY!!

     In one of my stories, I have written about how my big sister, Doris, watched my back when I was younger in grade school and especially if some kid was giving me trouble on the bus route. Now I want to tell you about a couple of my cousins who also played a role in keeping me from getting in trouble when I was a kid.

     First there was Bob. Bob Bueghly. He was my Aunt Vivian's son and she was my mother's sister. Bob was a few years older than me, but, until he started to get real active in high school, we did a lot together. They lived in Marshalltown and it was cool staying all night in the big city with my older cousin and getting to know a lot of his friends.

     As Bob got older, solid and wiry, standing  at least 6'2", he was somewhat like the "Fonz" from the T. V. show-Happy Days! He was a little on the rough side, but, he could also fit in with the country club set. He was also known as a "street fighter." Lean and mean and nobody to mess with!

     Where this reputation paid off was in  the following situation. One night my friend, Rick, and I double-dated in his dad's car. The Rambler. Rick evidently cut a carload of guys off on Anson street in Marshalltown where Hy-Vee is today and just off Center street. They then cut us off and a couple of them  preceded to approach us on the passenger side. I was I the back seat with my date and just knew we were in big trouble and the very least a black eye was coming.

     One of these young hoodlums looked in the window and recognized me. He indicated to the others that I was Bueghly's cousin. They all got back in the car and took off. Thank you cousin Bob!!

     Another older cousin, Larry T. Laverty, only son to my uncle Tommy L. Laverty, was another savior on one occasion. Again, like Bob, Larry was four or five years older than me. Growing up we did a lot together on the family farms and was a positive role model. He was his own person, smart, a little spoiled being an only child, but, a good person and a real maverick!

     This story is similar to the one about my other cousin, Bob. When in grade school, an older kid, Paul Mann, used to pick on me and younger kids in my class quite a bit. One day I told Larry about our dilemma and wished he could do something about it. Larry and another distant cousin, Johnny Smith, met with Paul and he never picked on us again. I never knew what was said or done, not to this day.

     Just for the record, Paul went on to become the nicest guy after that and was also  a really outstanding baseball pitcher in high school and beyond.